The Favor
by Morna
Summary: Katara agrees to serve as a cover date for Zuko Sozin, Republic City's most eligible bachelor, and expects him to return the favor. Modern AU Zutara.


**I did this for a prompt on Tumblr. Where someone asked me write about "Katara as fake girlfriend to keep people from hitting on Zuko at the bar, then Zuko returns the favor." This is what I came up with. Please let me know what thought.**

The Favor

It's just a favor for a friend she tells herself in the mirror as she checks her reflection one last time before heading out to the car.

Zuko is seated in the driver's side, brooding and scowling, already convinced tonight will be an utter failure. Katara's lips quirk into a smirk that she tries to hide behind her hand.

He catches sight of it and only glowers harder as he takes the car out of park, backs out of the driveway, and whips away onto the road. His face stays contorted that way the entire drive there, and Katara thinks to herself that she knows why now all of those girls throw themselves at him with a look like that. He comes off as the perfect mixture of a brooding artist and a lost puppy. The girl beside him knows though that he is more lost puppy than a tortured poet.

The bar they arrive at is low key with dim lighting and an air of exclusivity that screams upper class. The music is performed by a live jazz band, and pretty waitresses circle amongst the tables offering champagne in delicate crystal flutes.

Zuko orders a glass of whiskey and nurses it between his long-fingered hands. Katara gets a rum and coke.

Despite the reserved atmosphere, it is clear that a hush has fallen over the other patrons at his arrival. It's impossible for them not to have noticed him with that fierce glare and signature scar on his face. It doesn't help either that he is the son of Ozai Sozin and supposed heir to Phoenix Corporations.

Things are quiet for a bit as they stumble through awkward small talk that Zuko is terrible at. She finds his attempts amusing and endearing, which only makes his brows knit further.

A young Fire Nation woman, all alabaster skin and ebony hair that frames a narrow oval face done to perfection, totters over on five-inch heels. She giggles and the scent of liquor rolls sourly off of her tongue as she attempts to flirt with Republic City's most eligible bachelor.

Zuko tries to scare her off with his customary snarl and frown, but the alcohol has given her courage. She persists and attempts to seat herself in their high booth.

The firebender scoots in the opposite direction, and she follows suite.

"You know," the girl slurs, "I don't care what anybody says your scar isn't _that bad." _She reaches out a slender hand to touch it.

His eyes widen in surprise and quickly building fury as his shoulders tense and his mouth thins into a dangerous line.

Katara feels trouble brewing in the air and knows that if she doesn't act quick this will all end in a scene that the newspapers will devour like starving children. The waterbender reaches around her supposed date and grabs the girl by her wrist, halting her hand inches away from the angry red flesh of his scar.

The Fire Nation girl's eyes go as big as dinner plates that swiftly turns to indignation and outrage that someone would dare to touch her without permission.

_How do you like it?_ Katara thinks to herself as her eyes narrow, and she tightens her grip when the girl tries to free herself.

"If you wouldn't mind, Zuko and I were having a _private _conversation and would like some alone time." She makes her voice firm and icy, never breaking eye contact with the other woman or loosening her grip. Her fingers make a vice of unnecessary strength, and it is then that Katara's realizes she is angry though why she doesn't quite know why.

The girl gasps in horror and again tries to break free again, but the waterbender holds fast. A lesson needs to be learned here. "How dare you? You little sav-"

"You should go _now," _she cuts in like a tundra wind. "Over there," she explains with a careless toss of her hair over one shoulder to indicate a dark corner of the lounge.

The Fire Nation's girl's face flushes red underneath her powder, and she begins to sputter in drunken outrage as she slides off the booth and clumsily staggers over to her group of friends who give her puzzled looks.

Katara shakes her head and lets her hand fall into her lap.

Zuko looks at her with one brow raised and a look of wonder and relief on his face.

"What?" she asks.

His mouth curls into a little smile. "Nothing, just thank you."

"You owe me," Katara answers.

He nods.

The next week, Katara makes good on that favor and forces Zuko to go with her to Sokka's housewarming party. The place is packed with noise and people. Her brother is standing on a table telling an exaggerated version of the time Hakoda took him ice-fishing. It's clear from his animated expression and sweeping gestures that he hasn't registered her arrival. They manage to find a place to sit on his broken down loveseat and swipe two cheap beers from the coffee table.

Zuko silently reclines against the loveseat and slings an arm over the back. She is half way through her beer when realizes she has relaxed against the cushion and her hair is brushing his arm. If it bothers him, he doesn't say anything. His fingers just continue to turn the lukewarm can of beer instead of drinking it as his eyes take in everyone else. It's strange how this all seems so common to her, but it must seem strange to someone like him.

They slip into a conversation, far easier than last time, and she finds herself unexpectedly laughing at his bad jokes that mostly consist of puns his uncle told him. She tries her own hand at it, thinking up jokes on the fly that go over better with him than they would have with anyone else. Neither one of them is particularly funny and they both know it, but somehow this makes everything seem more hilarious. The setups are long and rambling, and the punch lines have no real punch.

It's in the middle of Zuko's joke about a bush and a leaf that she feels eyes on her. Her hands pull down the edge of her skirt towards her knees, and she begins to realize how low her neckline is.

Hahn is standing in the corner, eying her with his arms crossed over his chest and a cocky tilt of his head. Her eye contact is all he needs as permission to make his way over to them. She tenses against Zuko's arm, a groan building in her chest, when the firebender finally begins to notice that something isn't quite right.

He stops his joke and breathy laughter and turns his head towards the unwelcome newcomer. His expression darkens as Hahn steps directly in front of her.

"Hi Katara," he says in his smoothest voice.

"Hi Hahn," she replies in a clipped tone. "How did you get here?" Her brother's hatred for the Northern Water Tribe man was common knowledge.

"I got connections," he answers confidently.

The waterbender stares up at him incredulously. "What does that even mean? This is a house party not a private club."

He doesn't seem to hear her as he leans over and places one hand on the armrest, his foul breath washing over her. "You look really nice tonight."

"Uh, thanks, but you need to back up," she says as she presses herself as deeply into the furniture as she can while putting her hand on his chest.

Hahn only pushes against her hand and creeps further into her space. "Long time no see. Maybe we should get better acquainted?" His eyes crinkle in a way she is sure he thinks is charming, but just makes it look like he is squinting.

Katara's mouth opens and her free hand is reaching out to pull the liquid from every cup in the place and splash it in his stupid smug face, when a pale hand lands on Hahn's shoulder and sends him flying backwards.

She looks up in surprise to find Zuko on his feet with his fists clenched and his mouth twisted into a snarl. Hahn is lying in a heap of splintered wood of what remains of the coffee table. He is still trying to stand when the firebender plants a foot on his chest and forces him back down. There are sparks flying from Zuko's hands when he starts to speak, "She said back up. Do you not know what the means or would you like for me to show you again?"

"And who the fuck are you?" Hahn says as he stares up at Zuko.

"Zuko Sozin," he explains quietly.

There is a flicker of recognition as Hahn's mind works quickly. "If you don't let me up and apologize right now I'll tell this to every reporter I can find. I'll drag this into court."

The firebender gives a bitter laugh. "My father has every politician in this city on his payroll, and my sister's fucking the DA. I'd love to see you try."

The triumph dies in Hahn's eyes as he lets his head rest against a shard of wood. He gives a resigned nod that makes Zuko lift his foot.

"Glad we could come to an understanding."

Hahn gets to his hands and knees, shoots the firebender a murderous look, and mutters "just wait till I" before Zuko starts to ignore him and resumes his seat next to Katara.

She stares openly at him, not sure what to say. The room had gone momentarily quiet, but the noise quickly picked back up as people recovered from another drunken brawl. Sokka's friends tend not to be the quietest bunch. She is vaguely aware that Sokka will kill her for the coffee table come tomorrow, but that doesn't seem very important right now.

The firebender's fury vanishes when he sees her staring, and he drops his gaze to the floor, blushing as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "I-I'm sorry about that. My temper just got the better of me. Uncle says I should learn to control it more. He's right."

"No, no, don't be sorry," she says, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I really, _really _appreciate it. Hahn's always been a perv. I just didn't expect him to show up here tonight. I was just bringing you to keep away the run of the mill creeps not professionals like him."

He looks up at her with relief that makes something flutter in her chest. "So it's okay? What I did?"

Katara nods. "Yeah, you were just repaying the favor."

Two weeks after that, Zuko takes her out to the swankiest and most expensive nightclub in the city. Of course, it's just to be his cover girlfriend. Nothing more. It's just a sign of goodwill between friends. At least, that's what they call it, but for some reason, the more Katara says it to herself the less she believes it.


End file.
